Hanabusa wants clarity while Schatz waffles on Iraq

This week, the Washington-based Defense News is reporting the unthinkable: U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and U.S. Sen. John McCain agree on something.

"McCain is echoing a House Democrat’s warning that the Obama administration is flying blind in responding to a violent Islamic group’s destabilizing advance in Iraq," Defense News said.

Such agreement could mean one of two things: Either "even a stopped clock is right twice a day," or we are seeing the End of Days.

Even if the world isn’t ending, finding Hanabusa, an adamant dove, and McCain, a "bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" war hawk, offering the same worries does raise eyebrows.

What is actually happening is that both McCain and Hanabusa are looking at the U.S. problems in Iraq — and while seeing the same crisis, their responses are dramatically different.

The Arizona Republican is not likely to agree with much of Hanabusa’s thinking because his qualifications as a supporter of fast military action in response to foreign problems are well known. As the debate rages over the deteriorating situation in Iraq this month, McCain went on PBS to urge "that we go in, we use airpower, and we get some boots on the ground."

On Wednesday, Defense News reported that McCain had been given a classified briefing with the nation’s top military leaders.

McCain told reporters that during the briefing, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey "could not articulate a strategy to counter what our intelligence estimates (say) is a direct threat to the United States of America," the paper reported.

McCain’s comments come a week after Hanabusa reacted to another briefing held by Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"I have yet to hear any meaningful outline of exactly what interests are served by our involvement in this conflict.

"In a mission that was initially advanced as additional embassy security, we now have national security officials indicating that we are making this up as we go along," said Hanabusa in a release.

Noting that the first announcement of just 300 troops has already grown to more than 1,000, plus "armed drones in the air, and squadrons of Apache attack helicopters standing by in Iraq," Hanabusa said President Barack Obama has yet to spell out the plan.

"The notion that we could continue applying resources without a definition of how it serves our national security interests, a well-defined plan, or an exit strategy is a disservice to the American people," said Hanabusa.

As much as McCain pines for boots on the ground, Hanabusa wants no boots, no slippers, not even a tabi, on Iraq soil.

Hanabusa’s quarrel, however, is not with McCain, who in the past had been as much an opponent of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, as Hanabusa has been Inouye’s protege. Hanabusa’s fight is with U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, her opponent in the upcoming Democratic primary.

So far Schatz has backed Obama and tiptoed around the U.S. response in Iraq.

In future debates, voters will watch to see how Hanabusa and Schatz both measure up on the question of renewed involvement in the Middle East.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.